I hope they will add a new major ride or attraction to the park to help get the crowds in to celebrate.

^ Well 2011 cant be the 30th year if Wipeout was open for the 25th, as it opened in 2007.

There's some confusion with the actual opening dates, and i've never managed to get to the bottom of it. Some online sources suggest that the park first opened in 1982 and others say 1983. I was sent a "1982" map some years ago by a visitor to the site, and the map from 1992 has "10" on the front of it. The map is definitely from 1992, as the leaflet shows the old entrance road which changed in 1993, as shown on that leaflet.

So, interestingly, Pleasurewood celebrated 10 years in 1992 and 25 years in 2008! One of them has to be wrong!

Perhaps the park opened as simply a miniature railway in 1982 and adopted the Pleasurewood Hills name the following year?

Anyway, I think this is the information being referred to by Reece:

The park celebrates 30 years in 2012. Are there any plans for a celebration?

Not only will Great Britain be celebrating in a big way with the Olympics but Pleasurewood Hills will be celebrating its 30th Anniversary in 2012 too. We will be organizing some special events throughout the season, one being “A Big Party in The Park”.

http://www.placesandfaces.co.uk/articles/44/new-times-for-the-hills.html

I wonder if they do have anything planned for this milestone year for the park?

I am reliably informed that it is from 1982, but have no absolute evidence to support it. I think more relevant is the fact that the 1992 map is emblazoned with "10's".

Again there is nothing that definitely states that this is from 1992 but it HAS to be no newer than that, as the 1993 map shows lists the new roundabout entrance.

Therefore if 1982 is year 0, year 10 would be 1992.

Check out the maps from 1992 and 1993. Prior to 1993, access to PWH was down Corton Long Lane. The 1993 map shows that the way into the park by car has been changed to what we see now (i.e. down Leisure Way, across the roundabout and in...)

no map but there is a leaflet http://www.unofficialpleasurewood.co.uk/pwh_1993_1.jpg theres the one with New entrance.

Oh I see, them maps! Woops! I was looking at the park maps!

Have the 10th year car sticker to scan in somewhere......

I suppose, it would be 2013 because those that can remember 2008 would then start asking questions, and it would put the park in a bad light, whereas the total re brand should be complete by next year in time for the anniversary would be a lot better.

No new rides, but a revamp of what they have. There's too many tired rides that really bring the park down and unfrotunately Jolly Roger falls into that catergory.

For as long as they keep brining in rides like, the park will never have a 'quality' feel to it. What they have done with Thunderstruck is good, but there's a long way to go. Enigma, Dogems, Tales of the Coast, Jolly Roger and Fireball all look awful. They either look like a fair ground rides, or they look like they're falling apart.

So for me, complete rebrand, with a massive revamp, so like a 'new' PWH for their 30th birthday (but dont add that to the name for godsake ;)

I think marketing for 2013 has got to be right.

It is a huge landmark for a small park - which has really struggled for survival.

This years marketing although better visually has lacked any details on what is new and there were only 4 new attractions not 5 if we are all honest......( yet only die-hard fans like us would be anoraks to mention this ) and the same old same old photos of things is another thing that has got me and I dont just mean on the leaflets and banners etc yet even in the booklets that have all the attractions in...

Marketing all of East Anglia is a must...

Major train hubs are at Peterborough, Kings Lynn, Norwich, Ipswich, Chelmsford, Cambridge, Ely etc etc but also biggest hub being Liverpool Street in London....

Work with Travelodge for them to plug you and for you to plug them too - same with premier inn - could bring buisness in for all of you - Thorpe and others do accomadtion and entrance etc maybe PWH should try this - at least try these things.

Although costly mabe TV needs to be thought of for next year - a advert for 30 years with all old footage of the park maybe a good idea to take....

Agree with Brightside on money off vouchers etc - the park suffered so badly until lets face it the last couple of weeks ( in terms of what was open ) and everyone has complained on price and all these additional pay attractions....

Aside from all of this I hope 2013 brings one more major ride in and the sorting out of the Rattlesnake end from Hungry Bears down... yet hey thats for the 2013 section which I am sure will be open soon!!

-- Edited by coolskin on Sunday 15th of July 2012 05:24:42 PM

I think the increased presence on social media this year has been a big, big plus... However, I think general marketing has been a bit weak this year and the park has had nowhere near as much general exposure as usual. I appreciate how expensive TV adverts are - but I think that a short, small-budget TV ad which draws on new attractions and new things (if there are any next season) would be great to air just before peak season to get people talking about the park within the region. I also think that discount vouchers are needed to be advertised more widely. It is unfortunately an issue that the Merlin parks have affected the industry with... People now almost expect NOT to pay full price to enter a theme park... So more vouchers might be needed. The more people in the park, the more they spend in shops and on food, meaning the loss on the gate price is recouped and then some!

Also, I think that crazy and silly PR stunts may be good for business. Examples that somewhere like Drayton Manor have done are the morphsuit day they did, or their rainy day guarantee... Little stunts and stories that can get in local (or even national) press and websites create a buzz about the park in a way that things like Pleasurewood News don't.

:)

I agree on the voucher front. I know the price only went up by 50p, so the lack of voucher most probabyl balances that out. But increasing the price by more, and having lots of good vouchers about will make people feel like they're getting more of a bargain.

I think they have to look at how much they would be happy for most people to pay to get in. Lets just say that next year they do a goddo job of tidying up the rest of the park, and throw in a couple of new rides too. If nothing feels 'dumpy' or run down, they can then get away with charging more. Say, something like £21-22, BUT, have absolutely TONS of "entry for only £15" vouchers EVERYWHERE. 3 people at that discounted rate works outto be about the same as a '3 for 2' voucher, however I think it looks, and feels like a better deal than just '3 for 2'.